May 1 is celebrated all over the world as Workers Day. The role played by workers and trade unions is celebrated on this day. It is also the day where awareness about worker rights is raised.
The working class has existed for thousands of years. It started with slavery where workers were forced to work without pay and with no regulations over the number of hours they had to work.
Today workers are being paid for their labour and they work limited or regulated hours.
May Day holiday was born in the United State in the late nineteenth century when workers protested demanding a less number of working hours.
They were demanding ten hours for work and two for meals. They were granted the ten hours they were demanding. A few years later a demand for eight hours was raised.
At the 100th anniversary of the French revolution a resolution for an international day of demonstration to demand eight hours was adopted.
The resolution called for international demonstrations to take place on the first of May.
The call was a success and as a result today the standard number of hours one is required to work is eight. In South Africa May Day has been celebrated since the 1980s and became an official holiday after the 1994 democratic elections.
In this country unions are the ones who look after the interest of the workers and protects them. Labour laws are also ensured in the constitution to protect the interest of both the employers and the employees.
The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU)Â which was formed by the coming together of various trade unions in this country is the one leading the fight for workers.
At this year’s May Day the federation will be celebrating 30 years of existence. COSATU spokesperson Norman Mampane said in celebrating May Day this year they are going to be touching on various issues.
“The right to strike and the national minimum wage are going to be top priority at this year’s celebrations,” said Mampane.
The issues of poverty and xenophobia will also be tackled by COSATU this year according to Mampane.
It has become a norm that unity of workers is called upon on this day and COSATU will be doing the very same thing even this year.
Mampane said they are going to be celebrating the new equal work equal pay regulation recently passed by the government.
